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Mala Interview
Wednesday 27th February 2013 | Osh
Ahead of DMZ 8th Birthday on 1st March, we hooked up with one of dubstep's most influential producers and one half of Digital Mystikz. A pioneer in the movement, it is evident that the core value of his music represents community and positive vibes that has managed to capture our hearts and transcend globally. Touching on back in the days of Dubstep Warz with Mary Anne Hobbs, his time in Cuba with Gilles Peterson and wise words of wisdom from Kenny Ken we got to know a little bit more about Mark Lawrence. Hyped for this weekend, get ready to come meditate on bassweight.
So let’s start off with whole DMZ, how did the seed get planted? Have you guys always been mates?
Me and Coki went to school together and Pokes. My dad used to work with Poke’s dad so there’s kind of like history for us for many years and I met Loefah through a mutual friend when I was about 15 years old and we were both really into jungle.
So you four have been friends for a while then?
Yeah so we were friends for many many years and then yeah it’s just an extension of what we were doing. We used to get together Me, Pokes and Coki would MC and Loefah used to DJ and we did a lot of house parties and stuff like that. It was normal for us to play music together.
Your nights are legendary, I remember when they used to be at The Mass in Brixton and the queue would be crazy! Did you guys ever think the night would create such a following?
It’s kinda strange really as people give us credit for DMZ, but really it was all about a community of people who felt a certain way at a particular time. And that wasn’t just about the dj and producers like Hatcha, Chef, Kode 9, Youngsta and the whole crew it was also the journalists around, as well as photographers and early bloggers and everyone that came down and had something positive to say about DMZ. It was built on what people had to say about it rather than what we did, and I think that’s the reason why it developed the way it did. A community, a movement strong enough to resonate globally, I try not to define it but what the music and that time has done for electronic music, I think it kind of gave everyone a kick up the arse, not in disrespectful way but I think everything was a bit stale, everything had been around for a minute and everything was a bit conformist. What we were doing was different at the time, its wasn’t about massive build ups or anything it was just minimal beats with heavyweight sub bass and as the sound matured and developed I think it made people realise that you don’t have to conform to anything, you can be into anything and you can do what you wanna do. That’s why so many producers and dj’s from different genres originally have shown interest in our style of music. It was one of those things which really got people being creative again and I think that’s the most positive thing to come from this movement, reminding people that you don’t have to conform.
You guys have an anti-hype ethos. Is there any reason why you chose that path?
I wouldn’t say I’m anti-hype, because if hype is genuine then fair play but I’m just not really into dressing up something that isn't what it’s saying it is. At the time when I starting out I didn’t know what I were doing, to me it was like alien frequencies that only a few people really connected with. But somehow to my surprise people were beginning to catch onto what we were doing and what some of the other producers were doing too. That thing of like I’m not trying to sell to anybody, I prefer people to just discover something for themselves, to make it theirs. I think as human beings we all have the capacity to think for ourselves and by trying to describe music to somebody kind of creates a limitation or makes them a little lazy to go discover for themselves. For example I was never really into techno music when I was younger, because I associated techno with the things I read about and the pictures that I saw and because I thought I was different I would instantly not listen to that music. So for me it’s about leaving music as open as possible so people can interpret it for themselves.
So you’ve got your 8th birthday coming up on 1st March at Great Suffolk Street Warehouse, that’s gonna be a big one. We are definitely looking forward to it!
Yeah, we haven’t done a session in London for a couple of years, we did our last 2 birthdays in Amsterdam actually so yeah we’re looking forward to it. We’ve got a nice group of people behind us and again we are trying to bring people together through sound, I also mean those dj’s and producers creating the music because nowadays everyone is travelling so much, I’ll see some of my peers maybe two or three time a year, and usually in another country even though we are from the same area. So it’s one of those things where it’s nice to bring back that core energy so to speak. I think people enjoy playing at DMZ too as they can just come and feel free play what they really want rather than what they are expected to play.
Any clues on the special guests?
I want to announce people, but now everyone’s got agents and other commitments it can get tricky trying to make bookings like we used too, there can be a lot of politics coming into play so I’m not gonna say anything!
You’re all about pushing the positive vibes, what’s the most important message you want people to take from your music?
It’s an interesting one as when I’m in the studio and I’m making music it really is for myself I don’t think, “I'm gonna make this because the audience will like it,” that’s not why I’m making music. But when you finish a piece you want to share it and of course you hope that people connect with it in a way that fills them, kind of benefits them in some way. I think it’s very difficult to pinpoint what that should be, we all interpret music differently, we all live our lives, we take it as we take it. So for me the whole music thing is about connecting people to music and trying to use it to create an energy, something people can take home and feel. Maybe it’s a little cliché but with everything that is going on in the world today I think people need a break. There is so much stress and heartache, we all have to do stuff we don’t want do on a daily basis, so more so than others… so many people are not happy deeply in their life.. I’m not trying to add to that.
That’s what I like about your nights, it is all about the music you just take it for what it is I suppose?
Yeah even if it’s just for an hour you can forget, not necessarily to escape though as for me at first I thought music was about escaping but then I realised that when I’m existing in the space that I do when I play or create music, that's living. Its living because it doesn’t really come with any attachments or preconceptions, wants or desires. It’s passing moments that are happening which are experienced, you navigate within and through them, you direct the energy or frequency during these moment but it’s not something that is thought out, planned or controlled it’s a mystery to me still. I try not to speak abstract on purpose but I really don’t understand the mystery of music and why it does what it does to people. We could go into it intellectually or scientifically, but you know it’s amazing how many people go out every weekend and just lose themselves to music. There is a lot to be said about that. I think a lot of people would like to exist in that state more often than not, I am not saying it’s all about going out every weekend and getting mashup, but the mindset you have in certain spaces where there is no worries and there is this centre of being free. I’m just trying not to add to the madness that’s all.
Tell us about the whole Mala In Cuba experience, that must have been amazing to go out there and work with the locals and Gilles as well?
Yeah that was really out of the blue the way it came about. I’d known Gilles for a couple of years he has been to DMZ and I’d done some of his radio shows a couple of times. He just phoned me up and said “I’m working with Havana Cutura in Cuba and I want you to come and make a record. I was a little bit apprehensive but he was so genuine with his offer so I was like I’m just gonna do this and see what happens. So we went to Cuba and we had no idea of who we were going to work with or what was going to happen in terms of making an album but things just slowly pieced together bit by bit. Over the years I’ve felt uncomfortable in many situations, whether it be playing in front of a lot of people for the first time or something like that. I always try and remind myself that it’s okay to feel uncomfortable and for me it’s all about feeling comfortable with being uncomfortable and that was what the whole Cuba experience was like for me. I felt completely out of my depth the whole time, not necessarily when I bought the material home but definitely being in Cuba around other musicians. I’m someone who has worked in isolation pretty much almost all my musical career so to speak, so opening that door and working with people and letting people in for me was really nerve wracking and daunting and I didn't feel comfortable with that at all. But in order to grow and learn, learn things about yourself and others you have to put yourself through a bit of discomfort. There is no healing or learning without a bit of discomfort or pain. Sometimes you just have to put yourself through it and trust what you’re about and just navigate through situations as best as possible. The record came out and I was very lucky in the sense that Gilles and the team at Brownswood were very supportive, nobody pressured me at all. They wanted to release it in out 2011 but they were just so patient they never got on my back you know saying where is it let’s hear what you’ve done, they just left me to do what I had to do. That environment was nice to work in but at the same time I am the worst person to say just take as long as you want as I would just push it to the last minute like I did with the record! It was a really fun process and great to work with Gilles and get to know him and the incredible team at his Brownswood label. They are a really great group of people. Everything just fell into place I have never done so much press before.
How did you find that?
I don't mind, I am not like closed person and I’m always up for discussion and conversation, but sometimes you have to do a lot of repetition. But I’ve never released an album before so I was really surprised and pleased that so many people are interested in it and I was very grateful for the time people gave me.
You’ve got a few gigs coming up, we’re looking forward to Deviation at XOYO in April, what can we expect from the show?
Musicians that play together, they play their instruments I run everything into a mixing desk with effects and all the sounds can be manipulated in that way. Kind of like a hybrid of electronic and acoustic worlds and it’s one of those things where I’ve really had to learn something new. I’ve never played in this way with a group of musicians, it’s really nice when you’re on the road with a really nice group of people who were really up for working on the project.
I saw you at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards, how was that for you?
Yeah, it was one of those ones where we just went in, our set was only 20 minutes long that night due to a packed line up. Usually the show last an hour. The more I do it the more ideas I have of how to develop and incorporate the musicians. It’s a learning curve at the minute it is pretty full on as I’m juggling the live shows with the DJ shows so it is double the amount of gigs and year this looks to be my busiest yet. Almost ten years after my first record was released I’m busier than I have ever been but I’m just keeping my head down, trying to maintain and progress with what I do.
So let’s go back...Dubstep Warz with Mary Anne Hobbs, we gotta talk on this one. Is it crazy to step back and think how mad the whole movement has gone?
Yeah and no. It’s mad because it actually happened, it’s not a fabrication it did actually happen and it started off in a certain place with a handful of people. What isn’t so mad though is that I always thought the music could be played anywhere with any people after or before any set. I remember the first time I ever played on live radio was in 2004. The late great John Peel actually was the first person to play my music on mainstream radio. I remember when he contacted me and said we've been playing your music, he was the only one who played exclusive unreleased dmz tracks on the radio. I got invited to play at his tribute show that the BBC held for him, the whole day just for John Peel and I was closing the show and playing after a techno DJ Dave Clark I think. He was huge at the time and I remember not feeling trouble by going on after him because I always felt this was a universal sound. Mary Anne Hobbs was the one who took risks and got on the sound early, I remember she called me up and I had never spoken to her before and we spoke for about an hour. She wanted to know everything about my music and where I came from and why I was doing it so she could play it and talk about it genuinely, for me I’ve never come across another radio DJ who does that amount of research to try and help push a movement genuinely. A lot of the crew just jump on you when its safe too, and that’s fine too.. we all play our part, but she definitely took some risks back then and I don’t think she had the support or backing from those around her. She was just playing weird music that no one knew, I remember reading magazine articles back at that time saying that this music is only going to be around for about a year and it’s a phase. I remember we had DMZ on that weekend before the Dubstep Warz show happened and we always used to put DMZ on the first weekend of January and people were saying oh you can't put a party on the first weekend of January, it’s gonna flop and we were like it doesn’t matter because it’s only this type of music that is being played and you cant hear it anywhere else in the world, it wasn't like we were trying to compete with anyone. And people came down and at the time that was our biggest session at the time.. every party just got busier and busier.
Dubstep Warz by Mary Anne Hobbs on Mixcloud
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
When I was about 14 years old, I don’t know if it’s the best advice but it’s something that I always remembered. So perhaps it is. I used MC a lot at under 18 jungle events, we used to hassle the management to get the jungle DJs down, we managed to get massive DJ’s like Micky Finn and Randall. Kenny Ken played one time and I was a massive Kenny Ken fan back in 94- 95. I remember going up to him and saying can I MC for you? There was me like a cocky 14 year old, and he was like you are good, I said yeah… so I ended up playing the set with him and he said to the management this kids alright you know, you should keep him on! Then I became a resident at this under 18’s club and I ended up doing more venues after that. But I asked Kenny Ken, how did you get to this level and how do you get to do what you're doing? And he said “If it’s something in your heart, then it’ll be something that you’ll always do and you have got to be ready to the take opportunity when it comes”. I remember it clearly. Its always been the way I work really. Like if nothing ever happened with my music I would still love it and enjoy it as much as I do now or maybe I would enjoy it more because I wouldn’t know about the industry and the nonsense it bring at times. He’s right if you love something you’ll do it because you need to. Being in the studio is kind of like training for me, you're in the studio all of the time making tunes and all of a sudden these things click into place and that’s the one you have to deal with and finish it like being able to see the chance and grasp the opportunities and go for it. So big up Kenny Ken!
Yeah wise words from Kenny Ken! So what’s the most exciting thing you’re looking forward to this year?
I’ve got quite a few festivals that I’m doing this year that I am looking forward to, they are really different ones though they're festivals that I’ve ever heard of or ever been to before I guess because of the album and with Gilles audience it kinda moving me into different worlds and that's really exciting. I come from a place where I always used to call coming from the front line, back years ago when no one was going abroad there was a handful of us that started going and playing overseas and we would go to some places and people would say you’re the first international to play this sound. So I felt a real sense of responsibility to go and play your heart out. Not just for the people there but the for the people back home as well. What I always wanted to do when I played shows and I still feel like that now is that I like to open doors when I go out and play. For me I am always representing DMZ, I'm always representing Deep Medi and a whole heap of people, my mindset was that if I go out there and smash it they’re more likely to book someone that I’m associated with. It was just about going out there and creating that energy, opening doors for as many people as I could you know. It’s nice to still go places where no one has played this kind of sound yet. Its not so common now because the music is widespread, but these festivals I’ve got coming up don’t really have this kind of sound.
Have you got a venue in the world that has a special spot for you?
Yeah a couple of places, I’ve been going to Japan for many years now. I play for a party called DBS and they have been doing their sessions for 16 years now, all of us lot have gone out there. Their hospitality and their parties are incredible, really second to none I’m going out there this April so I’m really excited about that. And also I love playing with François K at Deep Space it’s a really nice venue called Cielo in New York. We did the Cuba album listening party in different countries, and we did that one in Cielo. I think I was the first one out of the people in my scene to play at Deep Space back in 2007. I remember turning up and it was like really swanky, it was a Monday night and drinks were like 15 dollars a drink. There was a different audience of people dressed to come and listen and meet me. Everytime I come to New York Deep Space say give me a shout and I played at some of their birthday parties and stuff like that, it’s a blessing. Over the years you get to play with people and meet people, I met Theo Parrish there for example and I'm a massive fan- they say you should never meet your heroes but there are genuinely some people out there who are down to earth when you meet them and you can have great conversations about music and whatever else. I feel like I have been very lucky, I’ve met many people and I’m very grateful for it all.
If you were invisible for a day, what would you get up to?
There’s a couple of studios that I’d like to be a fly on the wall in there would be too many to mention but there are some people out there making some phenomenal music so I would like to know how they are creating it. Also certain chefs, I love food and cooking.. I’ve noticed no matter what the recipe is, you can never get it the same as they would cook it! So I’d also like to be the fly on the wall in some chef’s kitchen.
You know what I could talk to you forever! But thanks for your time today it has been an absolute pleasure and we will catch you for the birthday celebrations.
Keep up to date with the DMZ crew here
Words by Tab Taylor @tiptoptab
